Thursday night’s 4-2 SEC tournament loss to fifth-seed Ole Miss wasn’t quite the quantum leap the No. 12-seed Lady Vols were hoping for, but it was a step in the right direction.

Consider that two weeks ago, the Rebels scored a decisive 4-0 conquest over UT.

“I didn’t like that loss for a few different reasons,” said Ojeda. “We had a bunch of individual meetings and a bunch of gut-checks.”

The focus paid off. This time, seven of the nine matches (three doubles, six singles) were closely contested. Ole Miss won the doubles point, 2-1, then had to battle the entire way before Tereza Janatova’s 7-6 (8-6), 6-4 win over Johanna Silva at No. 6 singles iced the outcome with the decisive team point. Gabby Schuck (No. 5) and Kaitlin Staines (No. 4) were singles winners for Tennessee.

“It’s up to us, as leaders of the program, to see the big picture,” Ojeda said. “We have to have a vision of where our program is going.”

Plenty of work ahead

Alison Ojeda has made a good first impression as Tennessee’s women’s tennis coach, leading the Vols back to the NCAA tournament. .

Tennessee’s record of 17-10 overall and 3-10 in the SEC can be deceptive, given the power of the SEC. The Lady Vols are ranked 35th in the country, and a solid bet to be part of the NCAA Tournament that will commence in three weeks.

Ojeda, a former Lady Vols player (1998-2002), took over the program in November of 2016 from Mike Patrick. This was her first full season. Last year, Tennessee advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Her vision has finally had some time to take shape.

“My vision is an SEC championship,” Ojeda said. “We have the toughest conference in the country. If you’re winning that title, you’re giving yourself a chance to win the NCAA title.

“We need very high character (athletes). Some people want to recruit athletes who will win. I need them to be winners on and off the court.

“We had a lot of laziness and players who weren’t fit (last year). The problem is when you get comfortable, that’s the way it is. That was the first thing we needed to do. You can’t even talk about the sport of tennis if you’re not fit. We got fit and focused on the mental side of the game.”

A future with promise

One thing working in the Lady Vols’ favor is that everyone from this year’s team will return next season. Schuck, a redshirt junior, is the grizzled veteran on this young squad.

That should help everyone get a clear glimpse of Ojeda’s vision.

“We’re a very connected team,” Schuck said. “We all get along really well. We’re family. That has helped us a lot. The tennis just keeps getting better. We’re right there in every match. It’s going to turn for us eventually.

“I lead more by example. We all respect one another so well. We all have our role.”